


Pride

by Griselda_Gimpel



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Agender Character, Feels, First Kiss, Gay Pride, M/M, Other, Post-Canon, Pride Parades
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 07:39:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19291231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Griselda_Gimpel/pseuds/Griselda_Gimpel
Summary: Aziraphale and Crowley go to Pride, where they learn things about themselves and each other.





	Pride

                It was Crowley's idea. He and Aziraphale had just finished watching _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_ at Crowley's apartment. Aziraphale didn’t live there, but he came over a lot, to watch movies and have dinner. So far, that was all they’d done. For such a long time, anything more that they (Crowley) had wanted had been completely out of the question; even what they had had had been risky. Now that things were different (that maybe they were different), Crowley wanted more – and he was terrified that Aziraphale didn’t.

                "Got any interest in going to Pride?" Crowley asked nonchalantly. If nothing else, Crowley was the champion nonchalanter. He had gotten A+ not only in Nonchalanting 101, but also Nonchalanting 201, Nonchalanting 301, and Nonchalanting 401.

                "Pride? Aziraphale responded, “Why, I thought that that was only in June?"

                "Not this one," Crowley said, "Their thing is being proud all the time. They do something every month. I've got the flyer over there on the counter if you’re interested."

                "I don't know if it would be proper," Aziraphale said. Crowley temporarily forgot to breathe, but then Aziraphale continued on. "We're not really two human males. We just look that way, to blend in."

                "Don't have to worry about blending in at Pride," Crowley remarked. There was more that he desperately wanted to say, but whatever it was that there was (might be) between him and Aziraphale, it was too…too (unique, important, enormous) for Crowley to phrase properly. He had hoped that bringing up Pride alone would be enough, but it hadn’t done the trick.

                "Why, I don't think I was even issued a gender!" exclaimed Aziraphale. "Were you?"

                Crowley waved a dismissive hand. "Gender's overrated, in my opinion. 'Sides, the flyer says agender people are welcome. That's certainly us, isn't it?"

                "I suppose it is," Aziraphale said. "When is it?"

                "Next Saturday."

                So it was that the following Saturday found Crowley and Aziraphale arriving at Pride together. Crowley had considered wearing something in black leather, but had opted against it, on account of the weather, what with summer being firmly past and this being London. Aziraphale was his usual immaculate self, but he had added a smart rainbow button to his attire. Crowley’s heart fluttered every time he caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye.

                One of the event coordinators greeted them warmly. "First time at Pride or returnees?" he asked.

                "The first," Aziraphale said. "This is Crowley. I'm Aziraphale, and I haven't got a gender!" He said this brightly, and the event coordinator smiled broadly back at him.

                "That's the spirit!" the event coordinator said. "So, how long have you been together?"

                "Oh, well, you see..." Crowley began.

                The event coordinator waved his hands urgently. "Sorry if that was the wrong question! Don't feel pressured to answer if you don't want. I just assumed-"

                "You aren't the first," Crowley muttered.

                "It's quite all right," Aziraphale said.

                "We've known each a long time," Crowley said.

                "But, well," Aziraphale continued, "I’ve always been rather afraid that Heaven wouldn't approve."

                "Not just Heaven," Crowley added. In spite of his words, he was encouraged by Aziraphale’s statement.

                The event coordinator looked as though his heart was breaking. "Well, know that you're among friends here."

                "But I'd quite like to kiss him," Aziraphale finished at the same time.

                "What? Really?" That was Crowley. He was looking for the entire world that he'd just been informed that up was down and fish rode bicycles.

                "Yes," Aziraphale said firmly. "Right now, if you're willing."

                "Oh, I'm very willing, Angel!"

                "Well, all right then," Aziraphale said. Cupping the back of Crowley's head with the palm of his hand, he met Crowley's lips with his own. It wasn’t Crowley’s first kiss; that claim belonged to a certain Leonardo several centuries prior. But it was his first kiss with Aziraphale, and that made it sweeter than sugar. As far as Crowley was concerned, he would have been quite happy to have the kiss last forever.

                The kiss was interrupted by shouting.

                "Demon! Hellspawn!"

                Reluctantly, Crowley broke away from the kiss. "Well, there's no need to be rude." Standing only a few feet away was a man who bore a strong resemblance to Shadwell. In one hand he held a large sign assuring the world that God hated all the same types of people that he hated. In the other hand he held a small, glass vial.

                "Hey! You!" the event coordinator said briskly. "Move along. We've told you you're not welcome here!"

                "I tread the den of iniquity in God's name!" the man declared. Raising the vial, he chucked it at Aziraphale and Crowley.

                "Oh, no. Holy water," Crowley said softly as the vial traced its arc through the air.

                Aziraphale acted quickly. Grabbing Crowley by the shoulders, he spun him so that the vial of holy water crashed against Aziraphale’s back. Off balance, Crowley toppled over, with Aziraphale landing on top of him.

                As they hit the payment, Aziraphale saw that his efforts hadn't been enough. A few drops of holy water got passed his guard, splashing Crowley on the cheek. Crowley's skin began to blister on contact, and Aziraphale's heart got caught in his throat.

                "No," he whispered.

                "Ouch," Crowley said. "That stings!"

                Crowley slowly raised a trembling hand to his face, and Aziraphale stared at him in wonderment.

                The blistering was the extent of the damage. Crowley had not been destroyed by the holy water.

                "Hey, hey, are you okay?" the event coordinator asked worriedly.

                "Yes, I'm...fine," Crowley said, talking quickly. "Allergic reaction is all. Must have been something in the water."

                Aziraphale did not say anything. He was too busy hugging Crowley tightly. Eventually - and more than a bit reluctantly - Crowley suggested that Aziraphale ought to let him up.

                The event coordinator had the interloper ungently escorted out, and the rest of Pride was a blast.

                Aziraphale and Crowley shared dinner afterward. They were at Crowley's place, but Aziraphale had insisted on cooking.

                "Must have been a bum lot," Crowley remarked as they ate. "The holy water, I mean. It should have destroyed me."

                "I'm relieved that it didn't, my dear."

                "Do you get bad batches of holy water?" Crowley inquired. "Like, one out of every thousand vials is only 10% effective?"

                "No," said Aziraphale. "You don't."

                "Well, what if the priest doing the blessing had harmed children?"

                "It would be as if, well, as if a demon tried to make holy water. It simply wouldn't have been holy. It wouldn't have affected you at all."

                "Well, what do you think happened, then?"

                "You were an angel once," Aziraphale said. "We're made from the same stuff, when it comes down to it."

                "So, what? I'm less a fallen angel now and more a risen demon?"

                "Perhaps a little. Perhaps just enough."

                "Nah," Crowley said dismissively. "Probably the water just came from the Thames. No chances of purifying that. Probably doesn't even count as water."

                Aziraphale smiled indulgently. "Yes, that's probably it."

                After dinner, they watched _Some Like It Hot_ , and then Aziraphale stayed the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and comments! You all are the best!


End file.
